Following the filing of criminal charges against Senator Nicholas Kettle, the RI Senate rushed to hold a vote seeking his expulsion. The State Constitution gives the Senate the power to punish its members, but that power should be exercised with an abundance of caution. The ACLU urged the Senate to slow down the rush to vote in order to very carefully consider the procedures to be used to oust democratically elected members. Senator Kettle resigned before the scheduled hearing on S 2490. Read the ACLU's full letter to the Senate.
However, just before the end of the legislative session, the Senate introduced another resolution (S 2967) establishing procedures for the "discipline of a member," but addressing only expulsion. Again, the ACLU raised a number of concerns regarding the proposal and urged a slower deliberation of any new procedures, but the Senate quickly approved the rules change.
